9 Is Silicone Baking ware Eco-friendly and safe?

Silicone baking mat, silicone baking mats

The answer to whether silicones bake ware is eco-friendly and safe is a resounding YES. People are concerned that silicone baking mats, and other baking items that contain silicone should give people pause.

Nothing could be further from the truth. We will answer some of people’s concerns and questions and put all their worries to rest.

• Silicone bake ware is a great way to “bake green.”-Yes, it’s true. Using silicone baking mats, cookie sheets, whisks, cooling racks, and pastry mats is a great way to “green up” your baking. When baking green, you don’t have any wax paper, parchment paper, or aluminum foil to throw away. You don’t have to add any extra trans-fats to your finished product. You don’t even have to use all that water that is needed to clean your baking pans and utensils. Using silicone baking mats is a great and easy way to be environmentally friendly in your kitchen.

• Silicone bake ware is made up of silicone-Silicone is an inert material that is found in the earth’s core. It has been around since the Stone Age and will be here for the foreseeable future. Silicone is safe for use in cooking material and is FDA-approved. It does not leech into foods, and it does not react with negatively to food or liquids. You may see a little back-and-forth about the difference between food grade silicone and industrial silicone, but don’t be too concerned. Health experts like Dr. Andrew Weil, magazines like Scientific American, and researchers at Green Tips Living have come down on the side of silicone baking ware, so don’t be afraid of your silicone baking mats.

• Brightly colored silicone baking ware may leech-Silicone baking ware can be not only functional but pretty. It comes in lovely colors that are very appealing to the eye. Some people claim that the bright colors used in silicone baking mats can leech into the products. This claim has been unfounded. Brightly colored silicone are no more unsafe that bland or clear colors.

• Odors have been known to emanate from silicone baking material- This claim is true, but true only of material that are cheap in nature. With the success, then demand for silicone baking mats and other baking material, tons of cheap knock-offs cropped up. Those manufacturers use cheap material that emits an odor than can be off-putting. The way to avoid this is to always purchase high-quality silicone baking products. So, to be clear, the odor that comes from some baking material is from the fillers used to make the product, not the silicone.

• Careful handling will extend the life of your silicone baking material-Silicone baking mats are designed to withstand years, if not decades of use. To make sure that your baking mat makes it this long, you must be sure that you treat your material with care. Wash it with warm, soapy water after you use it. Stand it up or lay it down to let it air dry. You can also place it in the dishwasher as well.